MPs react to US envoy’s remarks regarding Dostum case

The lawmakers in the Lower House of the Parliament, Wolesi Jirga, reacted at the remarks of the US embassy Charge d’Affaires regarding the controversial case of the first vice president General Abdul Rashid Dostum and former Jawzjan governor Ahmad Khan Ishchi.

A member of the parliament, Nasrullah Sadiqizada, said the case has nothing to do with the embassy of the United States, stressing that the US envoy should focus on torture allegations of detainees in Iraq, Bagram, and Guantanamo, if he really cares about the abuse cases.

He also added that the supreme court of the country is either dealing with the case politically or it acts based on the recommendations of certain political figures and circles, warning that such approach could be very dangerous to the legal system of the country.

Ali Akbar Qasemi, another member of the parliament, said the case should be closed as soon as possible and called on Attorney General Office and supreme court to refrain from adopting political decisions.

In the meantime, Fatima Azizi, representing Kunduz, in the Lower House, said the US embassy has raised questions regarding the sovereignty of the country by giving such remarks.

However, another lawmaker said the sovereignty of the country will remain under question as long as the foreign forces are based in the country, insisting that the US forces do not have the right to bring the first vice president to court for the trial.

The US embassy Charge d’Affaires had earlier called for thorough investigation in the torture and sexual abuse case of Ahmad Khan Ishchi involving the first vice president General Abdul Rashid Dostum.

He said Tuesday that the allegations against the Vice President, including charges of rape and assault, are extremely serious and warrant close legal review by the Attorney General and other judicial authorities of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

However, the office of the first president in reaction to the remarks of President Ghani and US Special Charge d’Affaires, said Attorney General Office is not having such an authority to grant permission the vice president to travel abroad and called on the US officials to respect independency of Afghanistan and bilateral relations between the two countries, insisting that the legal and judicial system of the country has a clear definition and approach regarding such cases.

One factor of the Afghan conflict is the Afghan government's failure to maintain a balance in its foreign policy. The imbalanced foreign policies of governments have paved the ground for Afghanistan to turn into a battlefield of proxy wars.